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Tuesday, 9 October 2012

Monster Triceps

They make up the biggest trio in bodybuilding.

No, not Arnold, Franco, and Lou.

These three components combine to make up a vital element of your upper-body development. They're known as the brachialis, the brachii, and the pronator teres, but in more simple, direct terms, we know them as your triceps.

For men, they seem to be one of the more difficult to develop muscles in your upper torso. To women, they're lost somewhere underneath that drooping bag that sags under your arms.

Nonetheless, these three muscles are a part of your anatomy. It just takes the proper training and dedication to lure them out.

Here are a few triceps exercises that will help you in your quest:

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESSES: These are just like they sound. They are bench presses except with a much narrower grip than what you're used to with standard bench presses. The closer your hands are together during this exercise, the more of the emphasis is placed on the triceps.

Grip the bar so your index fingers are about six inches apart from one another. After lifting the barbell off the rack, slowly lower the weight to the mid-chest section. Just before the bar touches your pectorals, reverse the motion and begin to push the weight upward. As you approach the starting position, you should feel the tension in your triceps muscles as opposed to in your chest. Do not lock your elbows out, but be sure to squeeze your triceps during the contraction.

Try doing three sets of between 10 and 12 repetitions.

PARALLEL BAR DIPS: Like the close-grip bench presses, dips will place some stress on your pectoral muscles and your deltoids. However, the main target with be the triceps, especially if you maintain an erect posture during the exercise.

Come off of your feet as your grab onto the bars and cross your ankles underneath you. Slowly bend your arms as you lower your torso toward the floor. When your elbows are completely bent and you cannot go any lower, raise your body back to the starting position, where you'll squeeze for a moment.

Depending on how advanced you are, you can hang weights from belt around your waist for extra resistance. For now, try 3 sets of 10-15 reps of your own body weight.